Healing Melody Publishing

True Worship 1 - The Primary Purpose of Worship In worship, God wants us to give Him praise for His works with undivided attention. In worship, more than anything else, our God wants us to come to Him and acknowledge Him as the Most High. John 4:23 indicates that “the Father is seeking such people [the true worshipers] to worship him.” The book of Jeremiah presents a key to finding Him: “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13). Worship is not optional but indispensable in Christian life. Whether we worship corporately or individually, worship is to bring the highest “worthship” to God in Jesus Christ and give Him the glory by acknowledging the Persons’ (the Trinity's) works as we bring ourselves to His presence by His grace through faith and the work of the Holy Spirit. In Putting an End to Worship Wars, Elmer L. Towns addresses what is the chief purpose of worship and the true meaning of worship: “The Evangelistic model is not worship; it’s evangelism. The Bible Expositional model is not worship; it’s teaching. The Renewal model is not worship; it’s revival. The Body Life model is not worship; it’s fellowship. The Liturgical model is not worship, for worship is internal. The Congregational model is not worship; it’s an assembly of the church. . . . let us return to our definition of worship: ‘giving the worship to God’”

True Worship 2 - True Worship Requires Faith in Christ by God’s Grace More than a Personal Experience ( Feeling ). The relationship of worship to faith in Jesus is essential for true worship. Some may believe that worship is the heart of religious experience by implementing of the theory of experientialism, empiricism, and personalism to their perspective on worship, which presents a person’s experience as a true knowledge of worship. Some also may argue that personal experience is necessary in order to believe that God exists, and embrace the self in relying on an individual experience. However, Jesus said to His disciples “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matt 16:24). Jesus did not ask them to bring themselves and still follow Him, but “deny” themselves first. True worshipers and disciples of Jesus leave everything of “self” but take up the cross and follow Him: “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Without faith, it is not possible to deny ourselves and follow Him. It is impossible to worship Him without faith. Wells explains the repository of faith and worship in No Place for Truth and states that “it is only by faith that the knowledge of God is first arrived at and only by faith that it is sustained.” Also Henry Blackaby accentuates that “God is the only One who can cause you to experience His presence.” True worship requires faith and the guidance of the Holy Spirit more than a personal feeling of God’s presence. Experiencing God demands faith first in the Spirit. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that “no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). Worship is not mainly a person’s experience of God’s presence but it is God’s calling to draw us to Himself (John 6:44), which requires our faith in Jesus Christ by God’s grace alone (Eph 2:8–9).

When singing in a choir, togetherness is more powerful than individuality. An excellent choir carefully hears one another to make a perfect harmony while a poor choir cares more about their own individual voice than others. Togetherness is power because it adds up strength and energy to push forward further than oneself. Abundant joy comes along in the process of fulfillment of purpose together. “Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. . . . And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:9, 12 Togetherness with God and Others Togetherness brings forth power which is required to hold everything together in perfect harmony. Togetherness does not exist by nature because our adversary makes an effort to disrupt the unity of every group and divide every relationship in our daily lives as Christians. Our enemy, the devil is not omnipresent but is at his work to deceive, divide, and destroy every relationship with God, family, marriage, community, church, and nation. Therefore, we need to be alert, work together to stay strong, focus on the primary goal of the group, and stand firm against the wiles of the wicked one (Ephesians 6). God is real and Satan is also real (Ezekiel 28:17). The Bible clearly says that the heavenly Father has given His children authority over all the powers of the enemy (Luke 10:19) and shows us what to do with the devil: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Also it warns us about the devil’s tactics: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Awareness of the Satan’s schemes is a first step to achieve unity. 2 Corinthians 2:11 states, “lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” If we are ignorant of his cruel plans, we lose the battle everyday. Satan’s strategies are similar to the predators’ in the animal kingdom. Lions prowl around with schemes into effect and unexpectedly pounce on preys. Their next move is to chase the herd to scatter the group into individuals and attack the ones that are young, weak, wounded, and struggling. The herd that was at rest on the green pastures now loses all power as the individuals are separated from the group by fear of the lions. Likewise, the devil’s easy target is the one who is spiritually weak, wounded, and struggling in the relationship with God and other Christian fellows. Satan’s primary goal is to separate us from God’s presence forever and His blessings in our life. In order to distract our focus from God, Satan, “the father of lies” (John 8:44), utilizes doubts, pride, and unforgiveness toward God and others. He tempts us with all the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:17-21) and deceives our mind with doubts about God and others. When dividing relationships with a spouse, family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors, the devil, who seems to be on your side at first, whispers that you are the one that matters most in the world; your feelings, views, and needs are more valuable than any other including God’s Word and other’s perspective. He sows a seed of pride, hurt, blame, and hatred toward others into your mind. The devil wants you to stumble and asks to you blame God for difficult times and others for your unhappiness. When the slanderer sees that you have strayed from God’s way or/and are discorded from others, he begins to condemn you with self-pity, shame, and guilt. Please remember that God is for you: “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 5:1). God only convicts us by the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). Satan, the accuser continues to remind you of your past hurt, worries about present, and uncertainty of future so that you may be emotionally and spiritually paralyzed and be alone. As mentioned earlier, togetherness is not borne by nature but through seeking God’s council first, praying for it, and working on it together. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Togetherness is strong but can not prevail completely without determination and dedication to inseparableness with God’s will as Ephesians 4:3 encourages us to “endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” In other words, we need to strive for close friendship to God and others. The most robust power in the universe is in God who is love (1 John 4:8). There is no wisdom, council, understanding, and knowledge that can avail against God (Proverbs 21:30) because He is all powerful, all knowing, all good, and present everywhere. We should not forget that God is for us, in us, and behind us. Yet He gives you a choice to decide which voice you want to follow in life. When we have an intimate relationship with God through meditating the Word of God daily and praying without ceasing throughout the day, God’s power is constantly manifested in us. God’s goodness and blessings are in us as we walk with Him in Spirit. Togetherness with God gives us ability to distinguish between His voice and the enemy’s voice. It also opens up our spiritual eyes to see essential part of togetherness with others that build up power against our adversary. Loving others through acceptance of differences, forgiveness, encouragement, gentleness, and patience yields to perfect harmony (Ephesians 4:1-2). Togetherness is abundantly produced as we “put on love” since love “binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14). The Primary Source of Power is Love Because Love Binds All in Perfect Harmony.

Regardless of one’s age, gender, race, education, social status, financial condition or faith level, every single one of us faces storms in life. A storm does not warn us when or where it will turn. Some storms have the ability to destroy our well being. This is something that we cannot control or understand. The Bible never says that Christ’s followers will escape all storms of life, but it does teach us how to handle them. God’s promises are crystal clear: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isiah 41:10). We cannot defeat the storm with human reason or logic, but we can rest in His faithful promises and have peace in His mighty power. In other words, the only way to have a total peace and hope with assurance is to trust God by faith and submit ourselves to Him even when we do not understand completely the reason for the storm (Proverbs 3:5-6, Isiah 55:8-9). The question is not what kind of storm we currently face or how big the gales are in front of our eyes, but how we respond to it. People try to search for answers, especially in suffering. There are two different responses we may see when severe storms arrive at the door of life. Some people might give full vent to their rage and say, “Why me?” “If He is a living God, if He is a loving God, if He is a good God, why does He allow this storm in my life?” They express anger out of hurt, fear, injustice, or frustration. Others might say “Why not me?” “I do not understand, but I trust in You, Lord.” “What are you up to, Lord? What do you want to tell me through this?” “I cannot go through this by myself so help me and strengthen me.” “Thank you for teaching me Your ways through these trials” (Psalm 119:71). “Give me an added measure of faith in this difficult time.” The total peace of God does not come until we have peace with Him. When a storm comes, it is not wise to go out to confront directly the high stormy gale, but it is time to kneel and pray. Come inside, humble ourselves, and give to God all our requests. The Heavenly Father knows and understands what we are going through. When something threatens us, many of us seem to forget who He is and who we are as children of God. Because of overwhelming fear, our focus becomes narrow. Many of us do not think about God’s promises and faithfulness at first. However, the first thing to do when a storm strikes is to come to the sovereign God who is omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing). How can we live at peace with Him? Is it even possible to rejoice and give thanks in all circumstances as 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says? Let the heavenly Father be the Lord. There is no trouble, problem, or disease that is beyond His capacity to resolve. As we read Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:17, “cast” all your cares, emotions, and thoughts such as anger, bitterness, resentment, fear, anxiety, worries, and doubts “on Him for He cares for you." He will sustain you with His righteous and strong hands. He will never forsake you but strengthen you in times of trouble and give you peace and rest as we patiently wait for Him and hope in Him (Psalm 62:5). The life of Fanny Crosby (1820-1915) offers us a good example of living in suffering that eventually leads to the light of hope as Romans 5:3-5 says “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” She is credited as the most prolific hymn lyricist in history, writing about 10,000 hymns and having 100 million copies sold. At the age of 23, she was the first woman to address the Senate and Congress. When Crosby was six weeks old, a botched treatment on her eyes with mustard caused her to lose her sight. Her father died of pneumonia when she was six months of age. Later in life, she lost her daughter not long after birth. In spite of all these tragedies, she had never expressed anger, bitterness, or resentment toward God or the false doctor who took her sight. Instead, she chose to trust in Him: "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation.” She also remarked that "when I get to heaven, the first face that I will ever see will be the face of my blessed Savior.” After the loss of her baby, she wrote a hymn “Safe in the Arms of Jesus.” It says “Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge, Jesus has died for me. Firm on the Rock of Ages, Ever my trust shall be. Here let me wait with patience, Wait till the night is o’er; Wait till I see the morning, Break on the golden shore.” In another popular hymn called “Blessed Assurance,” she wrote “perfect submission, perfect delight” “perfect submission, all is at rest.” The lyrics reflect her total trust in Him. These faithful statements would not be made if she did not have an intimate relationship with Jesus who rose again victorious. Her burning desire to seek the Savior was the key to overcoming the difficult times throughout her life. She also helped the poor and the sick with compassion. Her faith would not have been refined if she did not have peace with God (1 Peter 1:6-7). Because of standing on the promise of God through the blessed Savior and having a solid relationship with Him, she was able to earn complete serenity, tranquility, and strength even in the midst of trials. Crosby’s Christ-like character was formed through total agreement with the sovereign God of the universe through suffering, perseverance, and hope (Romans 5:3-4). Peace with God is the best way to have peace of God, which enables us to rise above hardship. Let us cast all to Jesus who died on the tree for everyone of us and conquered the death. The peace of God is absolutely different from the peace of the world (John 14:27). It surpasses all understanding and guards our “hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). We have a choice in trials: Either we stay in bitterness or get better daily by having a peaceful relationship with God in Jesus Christ by faith and submission by the guidance of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26, Proverbs 9:10). God will give you peace that the world can not offer as you come to Him. “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31).